AU welcomes Doha talks between DR Congo and Rwanda leaders

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, met in Doha on Tuesday.

The African Union (AU) has welcomed talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, between the heads of states of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as fighting rages on in the mineral-rich eastern DRC.

In a statement on Wednesday, AU Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf commended the two countries “for their commitment to dialogue” and urged all parties to “maintain the momentum”.

The regional body “remains resolute in its support for African-led solutions to African challenges. … The Doha discussions, held in a spirit of constructive engagement, align with these efforts and complement ongoing regional mechanisms,” Youssouf said.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, met in Doha on Tuesday to hold direct talks for the first time since Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized two major cities in eastern DRC this year.

The leaders issued a statement that called for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire”, details of whose implementation will be clarified “in the coming days”.

Talks in the Gulf nation took place after M23 representatives pulled out of a planned meeting with DRC officials in Angola on Tuesday after the European Union imposed sanctions on some of the group’s senior members, including leader Bertrand Bisimwa. The EU also sanctioned three Rwandan military commanders and the country’s mining agency chief, citing support for M23.

M23 is one of more than 200 armed groups vying for control over territory in the eastern DRC, which is rich in precious minerals such as cobalt. The Congolese government, the United States and a group of United Nations experts accused Rwanda of backing M23, an allegation that Kigali denies.

After being dormant for more than a decade, the group resumed its offensive in eastern DRC in 2022 and escalated its attacks in January, seizing the strategic city of Goma, followed by Bukavu in February.

War in the eastern DRC has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises with nearly 7 million people, including at least 3.5 million children, according to the UN.